A STUDY WAS MADE TO DEVELOP CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING FIVE ASPECTS OF THE ADULT EDUCATION CURRICULUM--PHILOSOPHY, CHARACTER, PLANNING, IMPROVEMENT, AND EVALUATION TECHNIQUES. ONE HUNDRED TWELVE STATEMENTS OF POLICY WERE DRAWN FROM THE LITERATURE, VALIDATED BY A QUALIFIED JURY, AND RATED BY 91 FULL TIME ADULT EDUCATION ADMINISTRATORS AND BY 42 ADULT EDUCATION TEACHERS (OFFICERS IN THE CALIFORNIA COUNCIL FOR ADULT EDUCATION) FROM 41 CALIFORNIA PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS. SEVENTY-FIVE OF THE RESPONDING DISTRICTS HAD A WRITTEN STATEMENT OF PROGRAM PHILOSOPHY. ADULT EDUCATION AND DISTRICT ADMINISTRATORS WERE THE CHIEF FORMULATORS OF DISTRICT POLICY. THE CURRICULUM FOR OVER HALF THE DISTRICTS WAS DETERMINED BY COURSES DESIRED OR REQUESTED BY COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEES, TEACHERS, DISTRICT ADMINISTRATORS, AND ADULT EDUCATION ADMINISTRATORS. FIFTY-TWO PERCENT HAD AN EVALUATION OF THE ADULT EDUCATION CURRICULUM AND 18 PERCENT USED AN INSTRUMENT OR GUIDE IN THE EVALUATION PROCESS. THE RESPONDENTS ACCEPTED 49 POLICY STATEMENTS AS CRITERIA OF TOP PRIORITY AND 46 AS CRITERIA OF SOUND POLICY FOR CURRICULUM EVALUATION. THESE CRITERIA ARE RECOMMENDED FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS OF CALIFORNIA. THIS UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ED.D. THESIS IS AVAILABLE FROM UNIVERSITY MICROFILMS, ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN. ORDER NO. 63-6333. MICROFILM $2.90. XEROX $10.15. 221 PAGES. (AUTHOR/LY)